SALISBURY, Md. (AP)- Property taxes are rising in Wicomico County for the fifth consecutive year.
The County Council voted 5-2 on Tuesday night to approve its annual budget with a 5 percent property tax increase.
For a $150,000 home, that leads to an increase of about $65 on the annual tax bill. Since 2010, that tax bill has gone up $290.
This year's tax increase goes into effect July 1. County Executive Rick Pollitt said the tax hike is needed to offset a 2.5 percent drop in the county's total property value.
The county also plans to take $7 million from its $39 million reserve fund to pay for a backlog of road maintenance projects and new benefits under a restructure police labor agreement.
